Re: RE: My career path and Oracle?

anyone considered going beyond the DB market? Im doing a masters in Software Engineering and when Im done may do one in Computer Science or do a Ph.D. in Information Technology.

Yeah its a bit of overkill, but want to be certain that if I have to switch to something else Ive got the skills to pick it up quick, plus the nice buzzwords on the resume.

anyone else doing this? Or picking up 3GL languages?
> > From: "Loughmiller, Greg" <Greg.Loughmiller_at_cingular.com>> Date: 2003/05/06 Tue PM 03:39:16 EDT> To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L <ORACLE-L_at_fatcity.com>> Subject: RE: My career path and Oracle?> > agreed... Been there.. There are a few caveats that make a difference. > > Greg> > -----Original Message-----> Sent: Tuesday, May 06, 2003 2:27 PM> To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L> > > >-To be perfectly honest I believe experienced Oracle DBA's will have a much> easier time picking up SQL Server than the reverse> > This is very true. I am speaking from experience on this one.> > Dave> > -----Original Message-----> Sent: Tuesday, May 06, 2003 10:03 AM> To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L> > > YOUR FEARS ARE NOT UNFOUNDED:> I am not a guru but I am an experienced Oracle DBA, dedicated Oracle DBA for> the last 8 years with experience in data warehousing and VLDB. I have been> equally concerned. I don't think your fears are unfounded. > > SQL*SERVER VS. ORACLE AND TCO:> My shop is predominately a windows/SQL*Server shop and in the last few> versions SQL Server has made a lot of progress plus you get the TCO (lower> total cost of ownership) argument by SQL*Server DBA's. Of course, I can't> help teasing them that what they are saying is that they aren't as critical> since TCO for SQL * Server is so very very much lower. The issue is> scalability with SQL Server. However, it is hard to prove when the line is> crossed. > > TRUE SQL*SERVER/ORACLE PRICE PERFORMANCE COMPARISON:> Also, in reality I don't think SQL Server is that much cheaper than Oracle> when you consider the "options" you need from SQL Server. It isn't a> completely apples to apples comparison because the costs of the database are> blurred into the cost of the operating system, backup software, etc. > > OPENSOURCE DATABASES:> It is also true that the opensource databases will be competitive in the> smaller end of the market first. Not too many CIO's are going to want to> take the risk of deploying large, mission-critical databases on open-source.> They just don't get the warm and fuzzy. However, on CIO magazine's> front-page which in my opinion is not radical but pretty mainstream the> featured article was: "Opensource, what is your plan for migrating..." or> some such thing. The basic concept being you must have a plan as a CIO for> opensource to implement to save cost to your organization. It is not a> matter of if you will or won't but when are you going to implement> opensource. My basic take is that LInux for web application servers and> Apache will be implemented first. However, realize that it is a matter of> time before opensource databases are implemented.> > OVERSEAS LABOR MARKET:> > India and other countries have invested a lot into their educational systems> to make their labor market more competitive. Also, in the IT market there> is little appreciation for experience from pointy-haired management or> bean-counters. With both Microsoft and Oracle development teams moving> overseas I think we will be seeing cheaper labor affecting the IT market in> the United States - it already is. I would like to see the certification> process be more demanding and relevant as a way to objectively separate> experienced and technically-saavy versus not. I can only hope I would pass> the test myself but feel that it would be worth the effort.> > DBA CAREER PATH IN THE FUTURE:> > I am seriously thinking knowing more than one DBA engine is important. It> gives you an edge. Also, knowing how to design systems, model databases and> answer business needs is also important. Data Architect is simply going to> become more important than DBA. Your ability to demonstrate that you can> successfully deploy different types of databases using different database> engines and even understanding and deploying systems on the web and> understanding web application servers all will help. I am even seeing this> at issue in state government in Florida. The real gurus who have> established a name in teaching, presenting, writing will still have a market> - especially overseas where these technologies are new. Also, you might see> some of these overseas companies hiring one or two senior members to mentor> and lead the largely unexperienced and cheaper data processing pools. I> wrote a paper in college about multi-national corporations seeking out cheap> labor, totally able to work outside any countries laws or boundaries. I am> seeing some of that happening in the IT market. It reminds one of the> Industrial Revolution and migration of industry to other countries with> cheap labor. I see it in the quality of products (or lack of....).> > Those that have a lot invested in a particular RDBMS or skillset in all> fairness will have the hardest time considering other options and perhaps> they don't need to. The question is really about your ability to adapt,> what skills you can leverage, your age, your level of expertise, etc. The> young DBA guns in my organization and in other organizations seem to be> getting into opensource a lot as a way to prove their worth even with lack> of experience in saving money for the enterprise. Whether it really does is> not even important - consider the audience.> > I am worried and have been implementing 9IAS and also taking the lead in> implementing a SQL Server database and will probably get certified in that> as well. To be perfectly honest I believe experienced Oracle DBA's will> have a much easier time picking up SQL Server than the reverse. Simply> because to operate Oracle properly you need to know a lot of internals. I> am still looking for the knobs on SQL Server and don't think there really> are any. > > I hope this wasn't too long. It has been on my mind for awhile now. > > > Oracle OCP DBA > > -----Original Message-----> Sent: Tuesday, May 06, 2003 9:22 AM> To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L> > > > Hello Gurus, > > I've been wondering about something, at best this can be dangerous :-) Is> anyone else been doing some serious career path evaluation? > > I have been wondering seriously about the future of Oracle, I don't know if> it is just my imagination but Oracle's market share seems to be dwindling> rapidly, both on the small to medium enterprise but also in the high end> enterprise scope. I think someone on this group mentioned the other day that> Oracle's revenues and market share base was begin held up by existing> customers, and was not experiencing any noteworthy growth in new customers.> > Lets face it Oracle is pricing itself out of the market, DBs like MSSQL,> MySQL and Postgresql are beginning to out price it BIG time. Many of these> DBs are beginning to add features to their feature lists that equal Oracles.> > Am I the only one who is wondering if re-skilling now while I can and still> have a job, should be a serious consideration for this years career> planning?> > Please share your views. I would love to hear how some of you feel on this> subject. > > Regards > Denham Eva > Oracle DBA > > > > _____ > > DISCLAIMER > > > > This message is for the named person's use only. It may contain> confidential, proprietary or legally privileged information. No> confidentiality or privilege is waived or lost by any mistransmission. If> you receive this message in error, please immediately delete it and all> copies of it from your system, destroy any hard copies of it and notify the> sender. You must not, directly or indirectly, use, disclose, distribute,> print, or copy any part of this message if you are not the intended> recipient. TFMC, its holding company, and any of its subsidiaries each> reserve the right to monitor and manage all e-mail communications through> its networks. > > Any views expressed in this message are those of the individual sender,> except where the message states otherwise and the sender is authorized to> state them to be views of any such entity. > > _____ > > > > > _____ > > This e-mail message has been scanned for Viruses and Content and cleared by> MailMarshal - For more information please visit> <http://www.marshalsoftware.com> www.marshalsoftware.com > _____ > > > >

My career path and Oracle?

agreed... Been there.. There are a few caveats that
make a difference.

I
am not a guru but I am an experienced Oracle DBA, dedicated Oracle DBA for
the last 8 years with experience in data warehousing and VLDB. I have
been equally concerned. I don't think your fears are unfounded.

SQL*SERVER VS. ORACLE AND TCO:

My
shop is predominately a windows/SQL*Server shop and in the last few versions
SQL Server has made a lot of progress plus you get the TCO (lower total cost
of ownership) argument by SQL*Server DBA's. Of course, I can't help
teasing them that what they are saying is that they aren't as critical since
TCO for SQL * Server is so very very much lower. The issue is
scalability with SQL Server. However, it is hard to prove when the
line is crossed.

TRUE SQL*SERVER/ORACLE PRICE PERFORMANCE
COMPARISON:

Also, in reality I don't think SQL Server is that much cheaper than
Oracle when you consider the "options" you need from SQL Server. It
isn't a completely apples to apples comparison because the costs of the
database are blurred into the cost of the operating system, backup software,
etc.

OPENSOURCE DATABASES:

It
is also true that the opensource databases will be competitive in the
smaller end of the market first. Not too many CIO's are going to want
to take the risk of deploying large, mission-critical databases on
open-source. They just don't get the warm and fuzzy. However, on
CIO magazine's front-page which in my opinion is not radical but pretty
mainstream the featured article was: "Opensource, what is your plan
for migrating..." or some such thing. The basic concept being you must
have a plan as a CIO for opensource to implement to save cost to your
organization. It is not a matter of if you will or won't but when are
you going to implement opensource. My basic take is that LInux for
web application servers and Apache will be implemented first.
However, realize that it is a matter of time before opensource databases are
implemented.

OVERSEAS LABOR MARKET:

India and other countries have invested a lot into their educational
systems to make their labor market more competitive. Also, in the IT
market there is little appreciation for experience from pointy-haired
management or bean-counters. With both Microsoft and Oracle
development teams moving overseas I think we will be seeing cheaper labor
affecting the IT market in the United States - it already is. I would
like to see the certification process be more demanding and relevant as a
way to objectively separate experienced and technically-saavy versus
not. I can only hope I would pass the test myself but feel that it
would be worth the effort.

DBA CAREER PATH IN THE FUTURE:

I
am seriously thinking knowing more than one DBA engine is important.
It gives you an edge. Also, knowing how to design systems, model
databases and answer business needs is also important. Data Architect
is simply going to become more important than DBA. Your ability to
demonstrate that you can successfully deploy different types of databases
using different database engines and even understanding and deploying
systems on the web and understanding web application servers all will
help. I am even seeing this at issue in state government in
Florida. The real gurus who have established a name in teaching,
presenting, writing will still have a market - especially overseas where
these technologies are new. Also, you might see some of these overseas
companies hiring one or two senior members to mentor and lead the largely
unexperienced and cheaper data processing pools. I wrote a paper in
college about multi-national corporations seeking out cheap labor, totally
able to work outside any countries laws or boundaries. I am seeing
some of that happening in the IT market. It reminds one of the
Industrial Revolution and migration of industry to other countries with
cheap labor. I see it in the quality of products (or lack
of....).

Those that have a lot invested in a particular RDBMS or skillset in
all fairness will have the hardest time considering other options and
perhaps they don't need to. The question is really about your ability
to adapt, what skills you can leverage, your age, your level of expertise,
etc. The young DBA guns in my organization and in other organizations
seem to be getting into opensource a lot as a way to prove their worth even
with lack of experience in saving money for the enterprise. Whether it
really does is not even important - consider the
audience.

I
am worried and have been implementing 9IAS and also taking the lead in
implementing a SQL Server database and will probably get certified in that
as well. To be perfectly honest I believe experienced Oracle DBA's
will have a much easier time picking up SQL Server than the reverse.
Simply because to operate Oracle properly you need to know a lot of
internals. I am still looking for the knobs on SQL Server and don't
think there really are any.

I've been wondering about something, at best
this can be dangerous :-) Is anyone else been doing some serious career
path evaluation?

I have been wondering seriously about the
future of Oracle, I don't know if it is just my imagination but Oracle's
market share seems to be dwindling rapidly, both on the small to medium
enterprise but also in the high end enterprise scope. I think someone on
this group mentioned the other day that Oracle's revenues and market share
base was begin held up by existing customers, and was not experiencing any
noteworthy growth in new customers.

Lets face it Oracle is pricing itself out of
the market, DBs like MSSQL, MySQL and Postgresql are beginning to out
price it BIG time. Many of these DBs are beginning to add features to
their feature lists that equal Oracles.

Am I the only one who is wondering if
re-skilling now while I can and still have a job, should be a serious
consideration for this years career planning?

Please share your views. I would love to hear
how some of you feel on this subject.

RegardsDenham EvaOracle DBA

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